The National Congress of American Indians is backing a proposal to create a House Committee on Indian Affairs.

NCAI President Joe Garcia said the committee would ensure Indian issues get a fair hearing. ''Far too often tribal concerns are pitted against the concerns of members who are trying to move non-Indian related legislation out of the House Resources Committee,'' Garcia wrote in a letter to new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California).

Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Michigan) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), both members of the bipartisan Congressional Native American Caucus, are championing the new committee. In the alternative, a subcommittee could be created.

Get the Story:
Campaign for House Committee on Indian Affairs gets under way (Indian Country Today 11/17)

Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org
House Resources Committee - http://resourcescommittee.house.gov